Wear testing, measuring, and recording apparatus and method



Nov. 30, 1937. E. F. HA'rHAwAY ET AL 2,100,332

WEAR TESTING, MEASURING, AND RECORDING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Deo.13, 1934 6 Sheets-Shea? l Nm'. 30, 1937. E, F HATHAWAY ET AL 2,100,332

J'A T'S, MESURNG, AND 'FiC/RDNG APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Dec. 13, 19346 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inve w/Zo vus:

Nov. 30, 1937. E. F. HATHAWAY ET AL 2,100,332

WEAR TESTING, MEASURNG, AND RECORDING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Dec.13, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheell 3 gy 540,7, m,

Nov. 30, 1937. E. F. HATHAWAY -:T AL 2,100,332l

MEASURING, AND RECORDING APPADATUS AND METHOD WEAR TESTIN,

Filed Dec. 115, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nv 30 E. F. HATHAWAY ET AL WEARTESTING, MEASURING, AND- RECORDING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Deo. 13,19254 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 y .92 93 lllllllllllllllllllllll /46 NOV 30, 1937E, F'. HAr'HAwAY ET' AL 2,100,332

WEAR TESTING, MEASURING, AND RECORDING APPARATUS AND METHOD eSheets-sheets Filed DeC. l5, 1954 4 s om QQ@ 1 ,3 m m\ m l 3 l oO m 1 6.O 1 my m wm w F7. 9 4 M 4 6 3 a vw /L k651 Invenows: @uw FIl'aZaJ/Uacy.

Patented Nov. 30, 1937 PATENT oEEicE WEAR TESTING, M

EASURING, AND RE- CORDING APPARATUS AND METHOD Edgar F. Hathaway,Wellesley, and Walter-Bixby, Dorchester, Mass.

Application December 13, 1934, Serial No. '157,358

41 Claim..

Our present invention relates to apparatus and methods for testing thewearing qualities, under simulated use conditions, of sheet material,fabrics, webbing and the like, and aims to provide novel and improvedmeans and methods for the purpose stated. The means and methods asherein disclosed have been found to be especially adapted for use intesting iloor coverings, including carpets, rugs, matting, linoleum andothers.

In the drawings illustrating by way of example certain embodiments ofthe invention and showing Illustratively means thereof may be practised,

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the machine or apparatus as a whole;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section substantially centrally throughthe machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of an upper central portion of themechanism of Figs. 1 and 2, showing a part of the channel for carryingoil.' worn particles;

Fig. 4 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing themotor and a portion of the drive mechanism, looking from the right inFig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan, with parts in section, substantially as on the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective oi a portion of the movable mechanism forsupporting the material to be tested;

Fig. 'l is a bottom plan of the upper member or spider oi Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on the line [-8, Fig. 2, with partsomitted, showing the cam for the material platen in plan together with aportion oi' the drive for oscillating the wear-effecting head;

Figs. 8 and 8b are wiring diagrams illustrating the control for themotor circuit, in connection with a single-phase motor and with athree-phase motor, respectively;

Figs. 9 and 10 are vertical sections respectively on the lines 9 9 andill-i0 of Fig. 8;

Figs. 11 and 12 are diagrams illustrating the resultant movement of thematerial platen;

Fig. 13 is a horizontal section on the line i-il, Fig. 2;

Fig. 14 is a vertical section, with the main parts in elevation, of themechanism of Fig. 13;

5 Fig. 15 is a side elevation showing a cam and associated partsappearing in Figs. 13 and 14, as viewed from the right in Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a front elevation of the recorder drum and associated parts,upon a somewhat larger 5 scale than in Figs. 1 and 2;

by which the methods4 (Cl. 'lL-51) Fig. 17 is a partial parts oi' Fig.16;

Figs. 18 and 19 are horizontal sections looking downwardly,respectively, on the lines il-il and n n, Fig. 2; 5

Fig. 19* illustrates the control switch and recorder-setting parts asarranged in connection with a three-phase motor;

Fig. 20 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in elevationshowing the lower portion oi' 10 the wearer head and the materialplaten;

Fig. 21 is an enlarged vertical section of the wearer head of Fig. 20;

Figs. 22 and 22* are views similar to Fig. 2l, illustrating modifiedconstructions for the lower 15 portion of the wearer head;

Fig. 23 is a bottom plan looking upwardly at Fig. 20;

Fig. 23 shows a different the test material; and 20 Figs. 24 and 25 arerespectively an enlarged cross-sectional view of a. test material, suchas an Axminster or pile fabric rug, and, in association therewith, aform oi chart adapted for use with the recorder mechanism hereinillustrated.

Referring first more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 13, theAmechanism as a whole is illustrated in portable'form so that it may bereadily moved about and plugged into an electric circuit at anyconvenient point of use. The main frame of the machine comprises aplurality oi' supports i, two oi' which appear in Fig. 2, while a thirdsupport i is seen in Figs. 8 and 13. On and between these supports is acover plate or table 2, and upper and lower horizontal connectingbrackets I and I. The supports rise from a floor or base 5 on theunderlying bottom frame 6.

The main drive mechanism, between the table 2 and base I, preferably isenclosed in a cabinet or housing including corner uprights 1, Figs. 1, 2and 13, and the removable sides 8. These latter may consist of panels ofany suitable material demountably held between the corner pieces l, thetable 2 and iloor 5, being retained in position as by the latches 9, 9,Fig. 1. The entire machine, as illustrated,'is mounted on wheels orcasters i0 secured to the oor 5. One or more of the wheels i0 may beprovided with a brake Ii and foot-operable cam lever I2 i'or readilyapplying or releasing the brake. Thus the whole testing machine mayeasily be moved about to the desired point oi' use.

As previously noted, the apparatus and method of our invention areadapted for testing the wearing qualities of fabrics and other flexibleor yieldplan ot the said recorder i'lorm of clamp for able sheetmaterial, particularly auch pile fabrics as rugs and carpets. Suchfloor-coverings are subjected in use to a wearing action of a complexnature. In being walked upon, a rug revceives the impact of the personsfoot and its tion or blowsand oi compression, bending, twistl ing andshearing, with the accompaniment oi a normal abrasive effect. Theseseveral compo-l nents of the total wearing edort maybe varied andadjusted as to their relative contribution to the total effect, any orall of them beingincreased or lessened or otherwise modified or renderedinactive to suit any particular test conditions. In the illustrativeembodiment of the invention the rug or other material (it beingunderstood that the term "rug as herein used is inclusive or any of thevarious materials to the testing of which our invention is applicable)is held in a substantially horizontal position and is moved about in theplane oi its support, following a special path. During such movement itis intermittently acted upon by an oscillatory and verticallyreciprocating element, wearer head or shoe, indicated as'a whole by thenumeral it, Figs. l, 2 and 20 to 22a. The cooperative relation betweenthe means for supporting and moving the test sample or rug, and thedrive for the wearer head desirably is such that the latter contactsdiiferent portions of the rug. For example, in making' any twosucceeding contacts upon a given portion of the test area ofthespecimen. the wearer head or shoe engages the rug while the latter ismoving in a direction opposite ,to its movement during the previouscontact. Hence the pile yarns are successively bent in variousdirections transversely, in addition to the one or more other wearingactions vwhich' they receive, including impaction, compression,twisting, shearing or pulling and abrading, as will be apparent from thefollowing description.

We Will refer first to the mechanism illustrated for supporting andmoving the rug itself, or rather the sample section of the rug or othermaterial to be tested, and then to the structure and operation of thewearer head or shoe.

Referring now to Figs. l and 2, and more particularly to Figs. 5 to 12and 20 vto 23,v the top frame or table 2 is apertured substantiallycentrally as indicated at 2a. Fixed along opposite sides of the apertureare two parallel guides it, i@ which support a slidable element orspider il seen in Fig. 6 and inV bottom plan in Fig. 7. This spidercomprises a base portion including spaced parallel ribs it receivedbetween and guided by the guides It, and a pair of cross rails l@disposed at right angles to the guides it. These upper cross rails i9 ofthe spider form the support and guide means for the rug supportingelement or platen, which is best seen, separately, in-Figs. 20 and 23.

This rug platen, indicated as a whole by the numeral 2d, comprises anunderlying slide 2i which is received and slidably guided between theopposed faces of the cross rails i9 of the spider. Referringparticularly to Figs. 20 and 23,-

the latter being a bottom view oi the parts seen in Fig. 20, a plate 22is secured to or formed integrally with the slide 2| and is slidablyreceived upon the upper faces of the rails i9. A second plate 23 ispositioned on and adjustably secured to the plate 22 as by means ofthebolt and slot connections 24, as seen in Fig. 2O and in dotted lines inFig. 23. Secured to the upper plate 23 is a block or platen proper 25upon which the test material is directly placed; The piece of testmaterial is laid atwise on the platen and its edge portions are bentdownwardly and anchored by suitable clamping or holding means. For thispurpose we have illustrated in Figs. 20 and 23 a clamping bar 26 andtightening screw 21 at eachof the four sides of the platen. In Fig. 23aa modied form of holding means for the material is` illustrated,comprising a. clamping frame in which the four side members or clampingbars 2@a each have lateral engagement at one end with the adjacent barand endwise engagement at the other end, the frame as a whole beingadjustably tightened by the screws 2B. In either instance the platen 25may have a ange 29 about its upper periphery cooperating with theclamping means to hold the rug against vertical displacement.

From the foregoing it will be understood that ha platen 20 for the testmaterial or rug is bodily movable upon and relative to the spider il,and that the latter together with the platen which it carries is bodilymovable upon and relatively to the guide rails i6 and in a direction atright angles to the rst movement mentioned. By means of thek cammechanism about to be described these two movements, at right angles toeach other, are eected simultaneously 'and in such manner that theresultant movement of the rug platen is that illustrated by way ofexample in the diagrammatic Figs. l1 and 12. It will be understood thatvarious paths of movement might be given to the platen, but the oneshown by way of example is particularly eiective in simulating actualVwear conditions upon a rug. The path in the diagrams may be describedgenerally as an S movement followed by a similar but reverse S movement,repeated alternately, as indicated by the numbers l and 2 in associationwith the arrows on the diagrammatic Figs. 1l and l2.

Noting particularly Figs. 8, 9 and 10, we have herein provided for thedescribed purpose a cam plate 3D having an upper cam path 3l at its topface, and a lower cam path 32 at its under face, the upper path 3|having somewhat the formof a three-leaf clover and the under path 32having the sinuous but somewhat irregular form as illustrated, the twocams being calculated with respect to each other to give the desiredresultant movement of the platen.

Working in the upper path 3i is a cam roll 33 on an arm Sd journaled asat 85 on a studA 3d carried by the adjacent vhorizontal bracket 3. Theother end of the ann 34 is extended beyond the roll 33 and is plvoted asat 3l to a link 33, the opposite end of which is pivotally engaged withthe center post 39 of the platen element 2t; see also Figs. 20, 5 and 6.Thus the directly communicated movement of the platen is controlled bythe upper cam.

Referring still to Figs. 8 to 10, a cam roll 40 works in the path 32 ofthe under cam, said roll being on an arm di underlying the cam 30 andprojecting from a sleeve 42 rotatable on a stud 43 carried by theadjacent cross bracket 3. At a level above the cam 3D said sleeve 42carries a second arm 44 disposed parallelly with the under arm 4|. 'I'heouter end of the arm 44 is pivoted as at 45 to a short link 46, Figs. 5,6 and 10, the other end of which carries a pin 41, Fig. 5, pivotallyreceived in a socket 48, Figs. 6 and 1, in the under face of the spiderlI1. Thus the movement of the spider, upon and relatively to the guidesI8, is afforded by the under cam 32.

The cam plate 30 is driven in any suitable manner,and through the mediumof the two cams and described connections, gives the resultant combinedmovement to the material platen as a whole. Referring to Figs. 2, 4, 5,8 and 13, the cam plate l30 is keyed on the upper end of a verticalshaft 48 supported in suitable journals in the cross-brackets 3 and 4.At its lower portion the cam shaft 48 has xed to it a worm gear 58, Figs2 and 13, meshing with a worm 5|, see also Fig. 4, on a short horizontalshaft 52 rotatably supported in a bracket 53 on the adjacent threearmedcross-bracket 4. Said short shaft 52 carries at one end a large gear 54driven by a pinion 55, Figs. 2, 4 and 13, on a 'second' horizontal shaft56 journaled in a bracket 51 on the upper threearm cross-bracket 3.Thissecond shaft 56 has keyed on one end a pulley 58 drivingly connectedby a belt 59 with a pulley 60 on the shaft of the motor 6I, Figs. 2 and4. Thus there are substantial speed reductions in the drive connections'cetween the motor and the cam 3D, first between the pinion 55 and thelarge gear 54 and again between the worm l and worm wheel 50, the cam asa result receiving an even and positive rotary movement, at a relativelyslow speed, and in such manner that the cam movement-is not interferedwith by the operation of the shoe upon the test material. As seen inFig. l, the marginal portions of the opening 2a in the table may beclosed in operation, to exclude worn particles, dirt, ctc. as by anapron 2b carried by the spider I1.

Turning now to the oscillatory and vertically reciprocated wearer heador slice, previously designated as a whole by the numeral i4, theconstruction of its rug engaging lower portion is seen in detail inFigs. 2O to 22. Referring to said gures, this wearer element i4comprises a block 82 centrally apertured as at 63 in alignment with atube 64 at the lower end of which the block 62 is anchored. On the underface of the block 62 there is removably secured a layer of somewhatyielding but wear-resistant material such as leather, as indicated at65. 'I'ne latter is held in place as by the buttons 56 extendingupwardly through it and having threaded engagement with vscrews 81projecting downwardly through the block. The layer B5 has cemented toits under face a renewable element comprising one or more layers 68 ofsuitable material, such as leather, composition or the like. Thus theportion of the shoe I4 which has the actual Contact with the rugpresents an even and uninterrupted surface to the latter, save for thecent-ral'aperture G3. and all securing parts such as the buttons 66 areCovered. The two layers 85 and 68, however, may readily be removedtogether, for replacement. It will also be noted that the wearing orengagng portion of the shoe resembles in its physical characteristics anordinary shoe, the article of wearing apparel. In Fig. 22 we haveillustrated a modified construction for ic base oi the shoe in which theengaging element 65e consists of a single layer of leather or the likebent up about the sides of the block 62 and removably secured as by thescrews 68.

Another construction for the wearer head or shoe is illustrated in Fig.22a. In this instance the contact-making foot or shoe proper comprises aunitary block or plate 65b which may be of any suitable moldedcomposition or other material. It is removably mounted as by means of aboss 65 set into a recess at the bottom of the block 62 and there heldas by one or more set screws 65d.

The shoe-carrying tube 64 is mounted for both vertical reciprocating andoscillatory movement. Near its lower end it is slidably and rotatablyreceived in a bearing in an arm 1l, see Fig. 2, extending inwardly fromand comprising a portion of. the top frame or arch 12. The upper portionof this top frame or arch 12 spans the machine as a whole. Its mainsupport, at one side of the machine, the left in Figs. 1 and 2, isprovided by a hollow tubular post 13 mounted on the table 2. The topframe 12 is additionally supported and braced at its other end, at theopposite side of the machine, as by means of the stationary upright 14having its lower end set into the table or upper frame 2 and removablyreceiving, at its upper end, the socket formed on the top frame. Theshoe-carrying tube 64 is slidably and rotatably positioned and guided'at its upper end in a bearing 16 set into a boss 11 on the top frame12; see Fig. 3.

'I'he up and down reciprocating action oi' the shoe, whereby itintermittently affords impact and compression to the test material orrug, is effected by any suitable mechanism, preferably including meanswhereby a variable and adjustable pressure and impaction are obtained.As herein illustrated, andreferring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and19, at a point spaced between the upper arch 12 and its lower arm 1l theshoecarrying tube 84 extends loosely through a block 18 havingoppositely disposed pintles 18 journaled in the forked horizontal rockarm 88. Fixed on theliollow shaft or tube 64, above and below the block18, are thrust collars 8l, 8|. The end of the rock arm 80, nearer thepost 13 is pivoted as at 82, Figs. 1 and 2, to fingers 83, see also Fig.19, one at each side of the top frame 12 and pivotally attached theretoas at 84. The opposite end of the rock arm 80 carries a pin 85 receivingan eye 86 at the upper. end of a lift rod 81 vextending downwardlythrough a suitable opening 88 in the table 2 into the interior of themain casing of the machine. The rod 81 carries at its lower end theadjustable weight 89, Fig. 2.

At a suitable point above the weight 89 the rod 81 carries a transversepin 9D on which is pivoted a.yoke 9|, see Fig. 13, formed at one end ofa substantially straight horizontal lever 92 which is pivotallysuspended at its opposite end on a stud 83 extending from the adjacentcross-bracket 4. At a point intermediate its ends the lever 92 isrecessed as at 84 and has journalcd therein a roll 85, Figs. 13 and 14,which rests upon a cam or eccentric 96 keyed o-n the shaft 52 whichcarries the large gear 54 previously described; see also Figs. 2 and 4.The cam or eccentric 86 is accordingly driven through the gears 54, fromthe motor 6I in synchrony with the drive for the cam 30 as previouslydescribed. For each rotation of eccentric or cam 86 the horizontal lever82 and rod 81 are caused to rise, through the action of the eccentricupon the roll 95, and are subsequently moved down, by the weight 89, asthe cam or wide portion of the eccentric passes out from below the roll.Through the rock arm 80 and the described connections the tube 84 andwearer shoe I4 as a whole are accordingly raised and loweredintermittently. By reference to Figs. 2 and 13 it will be noted thatthepin 90 for connecting the cam lever 92 and the rod 81 is readilyaccessible for removal to disconnect said lever and rod at such timeswhen the intermittent impacting action of the wearer is not desired, thelatter then remaining down in continuous engagement on the test sampleor specimen, other parts then operating similarly as when the impactingaction is employed.

Manual means may be provided forlifting the shoe I4, as when changingthe test samples or installing a new one, or for inspection of the testsample while the machine is running, without interfering with its otheroperations. For this purpose the pin 85, Fig. 19, is extended into thepath of a hook 91 pivoted as at 98 to the short arm of a bell crank 99mounted for rocking movement on the top frame 12 as at |00. A

handle |0I is attached to the bell crank, for swinging it outwardly, tothe right in Figs. 1 and 2, to engage the hook 91 with the pin 85 and soelevate shoe I4 into an inoperative raised position. The bell crank 99may be so designed and mounted that its short arm to which the hook isattached will be caused to cross center l ment is herein effectedthrough suitable means,

driven from the motor 6| herein through the belt and pulley connections58, 59, 60 previously described. On the shaft 56 with the pulley 58 is acrank disk I 03, Figs. 2, 4 and 8, carrying a crank pin |04 pivoted toone end of a pitman |05 pivoted at its other end as at |06, Fig. 8, to afinger |01 secured to a hollow shaft |08. Said hollow vertical shaft |08extends upwardly through the post 13 of the top frame and through thelower extension thereof 13 and is supported and guided for rockingmovement therein by the lower collar |09 and the upper supporting collarIIO, the finger |01 previously mentioned being secured to said lowercollar |09. Projecting from the upper collar |I0, referring now to Fig.18, is'a finger III carrying a removable eye ||2 which is pivotallyconnected by a link I|3 to an ear |I4.on a collar II5 keyed uponthesupporting tube 64 of the shoe I4. Hence through the describedconnections the tube 64 and shoe I4 receive one complete oscillation foreach rotation of the shaft 56, and herein the construction and relationof the parts are such that the shoe I4 is oscillated a number of times,herein, for example, through eight oscillations for each up and downcycle of the shoe and its weight 89. It will therefore be understoodthat during the entire time that the shoe is descending into, engagementwith, and is impacting and compressing the test material, and during thereverse or retracting movement, the shoe is being oscillated about itsvertical axis. Hence the test material and its tufting yarns, in thecase of a rug, carpet or other pile fabric, receive a sideways twisting,pulling and shearing action as well as an internal abrasive actionbetween the various bers or between them and the shoe. The resultantwear upon the test material as a compound effect of the several actionsabove described is closely analogous to that received by a floorcovering in actual use, but concentrated into a relatively short spaceof time.

As the wearing operation proceeds in the conduct of a test, particles ofthe test material are worn oif. In the illustrated embodiment of ourinvention we have provided means for carrying off these waste particles.To that end a suction is maintained over the top of the test material,as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 20. 'I'he draft and path of Vthewaste particles is upwardly through the hollow tube 64 of the shoe andinto the hollow interior I I6 of the top frame, see particularly Fig. 3,and through the latter to the hollow post 13, the lower portion 13B isin closed communication with a pipe I|1 leading downwardly to a suctionfan I I8 mounted on a bracket II8a on an adjacent upright support I. Thefan is driven through a belt connection ||9 with a second pulley |20 onthe shaft with the motor 6I.A The opposite side of the fan I I8 isconnected to a bag or other removable receptacle lI2| into which thewaste particles are blown and collected. Referring again to Fig. 3, acleanout aperture |22 is conveniently provided in the top frame 12, theaperture being normally closed by a removable cap |23.

` In the illustrated lembodiment of our invention We have provided meansfor reading or measuring the extent of wear and for recording the samegraphically, either automatically at predetermined intervals or manuallywhenever desired. Noting particularly Figs. 13, 14 and l5, the mainvertical shaft 49 has a beveled pinion v|24 at its lower end meshingwith a like pinion The shaft |28 carries a second Worm |29 meshing witha worm wheel |30 fast on a vertical shaft |3I. The latter extends upthrough the hollow pillar 13. The recorder drum |32, Figs. 1 and 2, isremovably mounted at the upper end of said shaft' |3I.

It will be seen that there is a large reduction throughfthe two sets ofworm gearing, so that the recorder drum |32 receives a very slow butpositive, constant-speed rotation during the operation of the machine.plete rotation of the drum may be variously selected and adjusted, as bysubstitution oi' different gearing. One time period which we have foundconvenient with the illustrated mechanism is that of approximatelyseventy-two hours, the mechanism accordingly having a recording capacityfor a test operation continued uninterruptedly over a period of threedays, operating twenty-four hours a day, or, if necessary, the test maybe continued beyond one turn of the recorder drum, the plotted curvecontinuing and recommencing at the initial side of the chart sheet |15,to be referred to.

For making the actual measurement upon the test specimen we provide aplunger or feeler |33 guided for up and down movement in an eye |34 onthe arm 1| of the top frame. At the lower end of the feeler |33 is afeeler head |35 having an under face of relatively small area, ascompared with that of the wearer head I4, so that the measurement may betaken at various points The time for one comupon the test specimen. 'lhefeeler head |25 may be removable, permitting the ready substitution ofheads of'dinerent weights, sizes or other characteristics, in accordancewith the character of the fabric or other specimen being tested.

- 'I'he feeler |22 is hung at its upper end as at tem of parallellinkage, whereby both the feeler and the marker or stylus |10, to bedescribed, at

- the upper end of the rod |40, have a straight line up and down path ofmovement. On the stud |42 there is also pivoted a ilnger |44 connectedat |45 to the upper end of a lift rod or wire |46 which extendsdownwardly into the cabinet housing the drive mechanism.

Turning now to Figs. 14 and 15, the lift rod |48 is connected at itslower end as at |41 to an arm |40 having a fixed pivot |48 on thestationary bracket |25.. On the arm |48 is a cam roll |40* riding on adisk cam |50 fixed on the short horizontal shaft |25 previously referredto. The cam |50 is formed with a notch or depression |51 oi relativelyshort extent and steepwalled, whereby the arm |48 and lift rod |40 areadapted to drop sharply into the cam depression and again to be liftedout after a brief interval, once for each rotation of the cam disk |50,when the other mechanism about to be described so permits.

The lift rod |48, as best seen in Fig. 14 and also in Fig. 13, has atits lower portion a laterally projecting pin |52. This pin normallyoverlies the upper end of a finger |52 on a rock shaft |54 on theadjacent cross member 4. A second, depending arm |55 on said rock shaftcarries a cam roll |50 at its lower end riding on a cam |51 having anotch |58 generally similar to that of the cam |50. Bo4 long as the camroll |50 is on the main dwell portion of the cam |51, the finger |52 isheld toward the right in Fig. 14, standing immediately below the pin |52and so preventing the lift rod |40` irom dropping even though the cam|50 might permit. The second cam disk |51 turns considerably more slowlythan the cam |50 and so aiiords a primary control of the lift rod |40.'Ihe latter accordingly may drop only when the ilnger |52 has been movedaway, by dropping of the cam roll |50 into the depression |50 of cam|51, and at the same time the notch of the secondary cam |00 has comeopposite the cam roll |48.. A

It will be observed that the upright rod |40 adjacent the recorder drumand the lifter rod or drop wire |48 are' capable of independent movementalthough both are pivotally supported upon the stud |42, through thelink |42 and the i iin'ger |44 respectively, Said two members |42 and|44,- however,.are operatively associated one with the other, herein bymeans of .a springpressed pin |58, Fig. 1, which normally projectslaterally across the top of the ilnger |44 but may be withdrawn wheneverit is desired to take a reading manually. 'Ihus normally ther finger |04controls the position of the rod |40, the latter being-held\up, throughthe pin |58, whenever the lift rod |40 is in up position, as determinedby the calas |50, |51, and, when the cams permit the lift rod |40 todrop, the rod |40 follows down with the latter. In Fig. 1 the feeler |22and assof ciated parts are shown in down position, as if touching andmeasuring upon the test specimen, and it will be noted that the rod |46and its connected ilnger |44 have moved down to a. greater extent thanhas the rod |40 and its arm |42. Advantage is herein taken of thisdifferential movement to effect the actual marking or indication uponthe recording sheet or chart on the recorder drum |22.

On the Same stud |42 previously mentioned there is also mounted abell-crank |00. One arm of this bell-crank carries a pin |6| which liesin the path of and is adapted to be struck by the finger |44 when thevlift rod |46 drops. Said action rocks the bell-crank and causes itsother arm to move a short link |62 connected thereto, the other end ofwhich is pivoted to a finger |62 fast at the lower end of an upright rodor shaft |04, the latter extending up through suitable eyes or guides|65, |66 on the top frame 12.

Projecting laterally at the upper end of the vertical shaft |64 is -avertical iin |61. The outer or free edge portion of the n |61 ispositioned in a notch |68 in a bushing 69 slidably supported at theupper end of the vertically movable rod |40. I'he actual markingelement, point or stylus |10 projects from the bushing toward and intoclose proximity with the `chart sheet on the recorder drum. It willaccordingly be understood that whenever the feeler |22 is dropped for ameasurement, as permitted by the controlling cams, or as accomplishedmanually by withdrawing the connecting pin |50, the bell crank |60 isrocked, thereby turning the upright shaft |04 and its iln |61 andforcing the stylus |10 in against the recorder chart upon the drum |32,making an indicating punch or prick mark. The elongated vertical fin |01provides for continuing operative engagement with the stylus |10irrespective of the vertical position of the latter with reference tothe recorder drum. The chart or graph sheet |15, one form oi' which isseen separately in Fig. 25, is removably held in place about theperiphery of the drum as by means of the upper and lower clips |1| and|12 respectively.

The described linkage system between the feeler and the stylus isconstructed and arranged to aflord a substantial multiplication of thedimensional extent of the wear upon the test sample, preferably at leastin the order oi' ten to one. Thus extremely minute ditierences in theamount of wear may be recorded on the chart and are readily recognizableupon it. As previously noted, the load and area for the wear orthickness measurements may be varied and adjusted, either bysubstituting dinerent contact heads for the feeler, or additionally asby shifting the position of a slldable weight |21Il along and upon thearm |21 of the linkage system.

In association with the chart or graph sheet v |15, Pig. 25, I haveshown in Fig. 424 an enlarged section oi an Axminster rug or other pilefabric, as an aid to the description. From a comparison of Figs. 24 and25, it will be seen that at the start ofa test operation, assuming thatthe test sample is in new condition, the initial measurement or' readingby the feeler will be upon the top of the pile tufts |10, 'as at thelevel a. Such rst reading may be taken manually, and marks thestartingpointvfor the curve to be plotted on the sheet. During theensuing early stages of the test operation the pile is compacted, bentover and compressedcomparatively quickly. This is immediately apparentin the initial sharp drop of the plotted curve |11 on the chart.lThereafter the curve flattens out very distinctly, continuing graduallydown, dependent upon the character and quality ofthe test specimen. 'Ihetest operation vand recording may be continued until the specimen isworn to any desired extent, for example, down to the upper weft, asindicated at b, Figs. 24 and 25 or down to the stuiler H8, Fig. 24, asindicated at the level c ln said figures, or entirely through the testspecimen if such destructive test is required. A condition of completewearing ofi of the nap or pile, however, is indicated by descent of theplotted curve ill to or just below the level b. The levels correspondingto diierent vertical portions of the test sample may be indicatedinitially upon the chart, dierent charts being supplied for use inconjunction with dii.- ferent fabrics. For example, the chart itself mayhave at one end or elsewhere a diagrammatic representation of a,cross-section through the fabric similarly as shown in Fig. 24. or thedifferent layers or levels of the fabric may be indicated by lines andwording or other appropriate designations on the recorder chart, such asthe lettering a, b, c, etc., Fig.V 25. r the chart may be calculated anddesigned for graphing the wearing action in any arbitrary orstandardized units of wear plotted against units of time. Thus theprogress of any test may be quickly observed upon the chart at any time,the machine continuing its operation without interruption, or a specialreading may be taken at any point in the test.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that in accordance with ourinvention and its methods there is aiiorded a realistic tt of thewearing qualities of such materials as floor coverings, under conditionsapproximating those of actual use. The total composite Wearing effortincludes not only the actions of abrasion, compression, twisting,squeezing, pulling and shearing, but also the important action oi'impact, these several elements being subject to relative adjustment andproportioning of their individual contribution to the whole. And forconducting a test there is required but a small specimen of the'fabric,web or other material to be examined. The apparatus as illustratedisarranged for convenient control by an operator, as to starting andstopping, the arrangement desirably being such that the drive isautomatically stopped, subject to immediate resumption at the samepoint, when a special or manual reading on the chart sheet is desired.The construction and wiring of the control mechanism/desirably also issuch as to accommodatethe machine for operation either by a single-phaseor a three-phase motor.

The starting and stopping switch is indicated at i80, Figs. 1 and 2, anddiagrammatically in Fig. 8a. One side of the main motor circuit is ledthrough the pin |59, with proper insulation, and through a contactmember on the nger i so that the pin closes the circuit when in itsnormal opera ive position, but opens the circuit when l the pin iswithdrawn, or when 'the cams allow the lift rod to drop as indicateddiagrammatically in Fig. 8l. Thus, when a manual reading or measurementis made, as at the start of atest operation or at any desired subsequenttime, withdrawal of the pin |59 to' effect such manual reading,automatically and necessarily cuts out the motor, and also provides forautomatically ,rem starting it, upon manual re-elevation of rod IIB andits link M2 and replacement o the pin, after the reading has been taken.

In Figs. 8b and 19 we have illustrated the cirandasse cuit arrangementin connection with a threephase motor. As seen in Fig. 19B, the arm I insuch instance has a depending curved contact finger I8I, included in oneside of the threephase circuit. The pin i59, during normal automaticoperation of the parts, is maintained in contact with the finger |8l,but when it is withdrawn, for the purposes of manual reading, thecircuit is interrupted, as shown by the position of the parts in Fig.19B- and in the diagram, Fig. 8b,

similarly as described for the single-phase arrangement, Fig. 8.

It will be understood that our invention, either as to means or as tomethod, is not limited to the exemplary embodiments or steps hereinillustrated and/or described, its scope being set forth the specimen,and drive mechanism' for eiecting said engagement of the wearer elementand simultaneously oscillating it during its contact with the testspecimen.

2. Wear-testing apparatus for the purpose described, comprising asubstantially at holder for a test specimen, means to move the holderina predetermined sinuous, endless path, in the plane of the supportedspecimen, an opposed wearer element mounted for intermittentlyimpacting, pressing and turning upon and in engagement with the specimenon the holder, and means to operate said element.

3. Wear-testing apparatus for floor coverings, fabrics and the like,comprising, in combination, a supporting frame, a holder for a testspecimen, a cross-head and guides whereon the holder is movable, otherguides on which said cross-head is movable angularly with respect to themovement of the holder, and cam and drive means for moving saidcross-head and said holder with a compound movement in a sinuous closedpath repeated substantially in its entirety alternately in one and theopposite directions. A

4. Wear-testing apparatus for ioor coverings, fabrics and the like,comprising, in combination, a supporting frame, a holder for a testspecimen, means to move the holder alternately in one and the oppositedirections in a closed path, a wearer element having a specimen-engagingportion of less area than the specimen and being intermittentlyengageable under pressure with a specimen upon the holder, anddriveconnections for throughout.

5. In a wear-testing machine for pile fabrics and the like comprisingnormally upstanding surface-forming' elements and holding or baseelments, a horizontally movable substantially flat support for a testspecimen, a vertically movable and oscillatory wearer elementintermittently engageable with a specimen on said support, and

means to move the support and to reciprocate and simultaneouslyoscillate the wearer element thereby to effect on the specimen a wearingaction compounded of the elements of abrasion, bending,

4 twisting, shearing, compression and impaction of table. a motor anddrive connection in the vhousing for gyrating the holder in apredetermined path, an upper frame above the table, a wearer ,shoemounted on the upper frame for intermittent engagement with thepresented specimen, substantially enclosed drive connections between theshoe and motor including means for effecting said intermittentengagement of the shoe with the specimen, and means for simultaneouslyoscillating the shoe.

7. Wear-testing apparatus for oor coverings, fabrics and the likecomprising, in combination, a platen for presenting a test specimen insubstantially horizontal, at position, cam means and drive connectionsfor continuously moving the platen and specimen in a predetermined pathin the plane of the latter, a .wearer element for intermittentvimpacting engagement with the specimen during its movement, said elementcomprising a shoe having a centrally disposed vertical passage throughit, a reciprocating support for said element, a dust collecting channelin said support, in communication with the passage in said shoe, andmeans in closed communication with said channel for maintaining asuction to carry oi worn particles of the test specimen.

8. In combination, in a wear-testing machine for door coverings, fabricsand the like, a movable support for the test specimen and means to movethe same, an intermittently acting wearer element cooperable with saidsupport to effect wear upon the specimen thereon, a feeler adaptedintermittently to contact worn portions of the specimen to measure theextent of wear, a driven recording chart and associated marker means,connections between the feeler and the marker means, and vautomaticmeans operatively associating the feeler and the wearer element to causethe feeler to feel upon the wearing portion of the specimen and toactuate the marker means thereby to place on the chart a visualindication corresponding to the extent of wear as detected by thefeeler.

9. In combination, in a wear-testing machine for floor coverings,fabrics and the like, means for supporting a test specimen and producingwear upon it, and means for graphically recording the progress of thewearing action at predetermined intervals with respect to the operationof 'the wear producing means, said recording means including a rotatingdrum, a removable chart on the drum,

a marker operative on the chart sheet, a wear detecting and measuringelement, and automatic means periodically operable to cause said elementto function and to cause the marker to record upon the chart the extentof wear then detected.

10. In combination, in a wear-testing machine for floor coverings.fabrica and the like, means for supporting a test specimen and producingwear upon it, and means for graphically recording the progress of thewearing action at predetermined intervals with respect to the operationof the wear producing means, said recording means including a rotatingdrum, a removable chart on the drum, a. marker operatiik: on the chartsheet, a wear detecting and measuring element, and automatic meansperiodically operable to cause said element to function and to cause themarker to record upon the chart the extent of wear then detected, andmeans associated with said feeler and marker mechanism for effecting amanually controlled wear measurement and recording at any desired time.

11. In combination, in a wear-testing machine for floor coverings,fabrics and the like, means for supporting a test specimen and producingwear upon it, a motor and drive connections for said wear-producingmeans, a wear-measuring detector, recording mechanism including a chartand marker operatively associated with the de tector, automatic meansperiodically operable to effect a detecting and recording operation,said automatic means including a connecting member manually releasableto condition the parts for 'effecting a measurement and recordingthereof at the will of the operator, and circuit-controlling meansassociated with said manually releasable member to stop the motorduring, and start it after, said optional measurement and recording.

12. The method of testing the wearing qualities of floor coverings,fabrics and the like which comprises supporting a test specimen flatwisein position to be acted uponovera selected limited area thereof,continuously moving the specimen along a predetermined path in its ownplane, intermittently impacting and compressing the specimen andsimultaneously effecting a local twisting action upon the impacted andcompressed area of the specimen by engaging a wearing instrumentalitytherewith at spaced localities along said path, and effecting eachsuccessive engagement of a given locality during movement of thespecimen in a direction opposite to that during the preceding engagementthereof.

13. The method of testing the wearing qualities of floor coverings,fabrics and the like which comprises supporting a test specimen ilatwisein position to be acted upon over a selected limited area thereof,moving the specimen continuously during predetermined periods and alonga repeating sinuous closed path in its own plane, intermittentlyimpacting portions of the total selected area of the specimen along saidpath, and effecting each successive engagement of a given portion ofsaid area during movement of the specimen in a direction opposite tothat during the preceding engagement thereof.

14. The method of testing the wearing qualities of floor coverings,fabrics and the like which comprises supporting a test specimen flatwisein position to be acted upon over a selected limited area thereof,continuously moving the specimen along a predetermined path in its ownplane, and intermittently impacting and compressing the specimen andsimultaneously effecting a local twisting action upon the impacted andcompressed areak ofthe specimen by engaging a wearing instrumentalitytherewith at spaced localities along said path.

15. 'I'he method as set forth in claim 14 including the coordinated stepof periodically measuring the extent of lwear effected.

16. In an apparatus for testing the wearing qualities of floorcoverings, fabrics and the like, a plate-like holder for a test specimento be examined, a supporting spider for said holder having means forguiding the holder formovement relative to the spider and in the planeof the test specimen,- guide means whereon the spider is bodily movablein a parallel plane but angularly with respect to the first mentionedmovement, controlling cam means and drive connections for the holder,and associated cam means and drive connections for the spider, said twocam means being shaped, constructed and arranged with respect to eachother to move the holder and test specimen with a predetermined compoundmovement alternately in one and the reverse directions along a recurringclosed path.

17. In an apparatus of the class described, an under frame and housing,a. specimen holder and clamping means movably supported above thehousing, a motor and drivev connection for said holder contained withinsaid housing, an upper frame, a wearer shoe supported by said frame forintermittent wear-effecting engagement with a specimen on said holder,drive connections between the motor and said shoe, a detector elementfor intermittently measuring the extent of the progressing wear, saidelement including a supporting member movable toward and away from the,wearing portion of the test specimen, a feeler on said member having aflat underface for feeling engagement upon said wearing portion,operating means for the feeler associated ywith said motor and driveconnections to eiect .periodic measuring engagements of the feeler,

Tand` means for adjusting the pressure under which said f eeler effectssaid measuring engagement; I

18. In an apparatus forv testing the wearing vqualities of floorcoverings, fabrics and the like, a

holding platen for a test specimen to be examined and whereon .thespecimen is presented-in normal,

. -iiat condition, means to move the platen and n specimen in a givenpath in their own plane, a

wearer shoe having Aa longitudinally movable and y rotativelyoscillatory supporting shaft, means to means supporting and guiding saidelement for movement substantially perpendicularly to said iixedoperative plane of the platen and into and out of engagement with thespecimen, operating mechanism for' said element including a cam andconnections therewith for moving the element away from the specimen,adjustable weighting means to effect an impacting and compressingengagement of said element -upon the specimen,

"as controlled by said cam, and cooperating means for'rotativelyoscillating said element during such engagement. v v

20. In a wear-testing machine for floor cover- I ings, fabrics and thelike, a supporting platen for a test specimen, a plunger-like wearerelementv carrying a shoe i'or wearing engagement upon' a supportedspecimen, means supporting and guidingsaid element for movement into andout of engagement with the specimen, operating mechanism ior'saidelement including a cam and connectionsl therewith for moving theelement away from the, specimen, weighting means to effect an impactingand compressing engagement of said element upon the specimen, ascontrolled by said cam, and means for withdrawing and locking saidwearer element out of operative relation with its operating mechanism,at the will of the operator.

2l. In a wear-testing machine for lfloor coverings, fabrics and thelike, a supporting platen for a test specimen, said platen having ailxed operative plane, means to move the platen and .specimen insaidplane, a plunger-like wearer element carrying a shoe for wearingengagement upon a supported specimen, means supporting and guiding saidelement for movement substantially perpendicularly to said xed operativeplane of the platen and into and out of engagement with lthespecimemoperating mechanism for said element including a cam andconnections therewith for moving the element away from the specimen andpermitting its return movement, and other drive means coordinated withsaid wearer operating mechanism for oscillating said wearer about anaxis parallel with its path of movement toward and from the specimen.

22. I n a wear-testing machine for floor coverings, fabrics and thelike, a supporting platen for a test specimen, a plunger-like wearerelement carrying a shoe for wearing engagement upon a supportedspecimen, means supporting and guiding said element for movement intoand out of engagement with the specimen; a motor and associated meansdrivingly connecting it with said wearer element, a wear-detecting andmeasuring feeler adapted for feeling engagement upon a wearing portionof the specimen, feeler operating means coordinated with the wearerelement and its drive means thereby to cause the feeler to feel upon thetest specimen periodically, a rotary drum and means thereonfor recordinga visual indication of the progress of wear upon the test specimen,means operatedby the i'eeler for cooperating with said visual indicatingmeans on the drum, and drive connections between the motor and therecorder drum 4for turning the latter at a constant and greatly reducedrate proportionate to the rate of operation of the wearer element. Y

23. In a wear-testing machine for oor coverings, fabrics and the like, asupporting platen for a test specimen, a plunger-like wearer elementcarrying a shoe for wearing engagement upon a supported specimen, meanssupporting and guiding said element for movement into and out ofengagement with the specimen, a motor and associated means drivinglyconnecting it with said wearer element, cam means operatively connectedwith the motor, and cooperating mechanism associated with said cam meansto move the specimen-supporting platen predeterminedly in the .plane ofthe specimen, a wear-detecting and measuring feeler adapted for feelingengagement upon a wearing portion of the specimen, feeler operatingmeans coordinated .with the wearer ele- Ament and its drive' meansthereby to cause the on the drum, and drive connections between themotor and the recorder drum for turning `the latter at a constant andgreatly reduced rate proportionate to the rates of operation oi' thewearer element and of the specimen-supporting platen.'

24.1n a wear-testing machine .for floor coverings, fabrics and the like,a supporting platen for a test specimen, a plunger-like wearer elementcarrying a shoe for wearing engagement upon a supported specimen, meanssupporting and guiding said element for movement into and out ofengagement with the specimen, operating mechanism for the wearer elementincluding a motor, a cam driven thereby, and cam-controlled connectionswith said element, a wear-detecting and measuring feeler adapted tocontact a wearing portion of a supported .test specimen, and controllingcam mechanism for the feeler, operatively associated with said motor, toeffect operation of the feeler at intervals timed with respect to therate of operation of the wearer element.

25. In ya wear-testing machine for floor coverings, fabrics and thelike, a supporting platen for a test specimen, a plunger-like wearerelement carrying a shoe for wearing engagement upon a supportedspecimen, means supporting'and guiding said element for movement intoand out of engagement with the specimen, operating mechanism for thewearer element including a motor, a cam driven thereby, andcam-controlled connections with said element, a wear-detecting andmeasuring feeler adapted to contact a wearing portion of a supportedtest specimen, controlling cam mechanism for the feeler, operativelyassociated with said motor, to effect operation of the feeler atintervals timed with respect to the rate of operation of the wearerelement, and automatic means operated by the motor and associated withsaid feeler automatically to form a visual record of the wear asmeasured by the feeler.

26. In apparatus for testing the wearing qualities of iioor coverings,fabrics and the like, in combination, a support for a test specimen, awearer element having intermittently reciprocating and oscillatoryengagement with a supported specimen, means for periodically feelingupon the wearing portion of such specimen, and recording mechanismincluding a rotary drum, a chart adapted to receive a plotted wearcurve, means for removably holding the chart in operative recordingposition on the drum, marker means operable by said feeler means, andindicia on the chart in association with the area upon which the curveis to be plotted, said indicia representing, to scale, various planes inand through a particular specimen to be tested and operating meansdriven from a common power source to actuate the wearer element, thefeeler means and the recording mechanism in predetermined timedrelation.

27. In an apparatus of the class described, an under frame and housing,a specimen holder and clamping means movably supported above thehousing, a motor and drive connections for said holder contained withinsaid housing, a wearer element for intermittent wear-effectingengagement with a specimen on said holder, and drive connections betweenthe motor and said wearer element, the latter including an elongatedsupporting member having a longitudinal closed channel, aspecimen-engaging shoe having a through aperture in communication withsaid channel, and means for detachably securing said shoe in positionupon the supporting element.

28. In a wear-testing apparatus for the purpose described, a frame, anapproximately flat supporting element on the frame for a test specimen,a wearer element having a substantially at surface for engagement with asupported specimen, one of said elements being movable in an endlesspath in the plane of the supported specimen, said elements being mountedfor relative intermittent impacting engagement and one of them alsobeing oscillatory about an axis approximately normal to the plane of thespecimen, during such engagement.

29. In a wear-testing apparatus for thec purpose described, a frame, anapproximately flat supporting element on the frame for a test specimen,.a wearer element having a substantially flat surface for engagementwith a supported specimen, one of said elements being movable in anendless path in the plane of the supported specimen, said elements beingmounted for relative intermittent impacting engagement and one oi themalso being oscillatory about an axis approximately normal to the planeof the specimen, during such engagement, and means operativelyassociated with said elements and successively to subject differentportions of the specimen to said wearing engagement and to subjectuniformly the entire desired area thereof to such wearing engagement inthe course of a cyclic series thereof.

30. In a wear-testing apparatus for the purpose described, a frame, anapproximately flat supporting element on the frame for a test specimen,a wearer element having a substantially at surface for engagement with asupported specimen, one of said elements being movable in an endlesspath in the plane of the supported specimen, said elements being mountedfor relative intermittent impacting engagement and one oi' them alsobeing oscillatory about an axis approximately normal to the plane of thespecimen, during such engagement, said supporting element comprising aplate-like member of the size and shape of the desired total test areaof the specimen, said member having a thickness at least approximatelyequaling that of a test specimen, whereby any portion of the latteroutside the periphery of said member is relieved from wearing action ofsaid elements.

3l. In a wear-testing apparatus for the purpose described, a frame, anapproximately fiat supporting element on the frame for a test specimen,a wearer element having a substantially fiat surface for engagement witha supported specimen, one of said elements being movable in an endlesspath in the plane of the supported specimen, said elements being mountedfor relative intermittent impacting engagement and one of them alsobeing oscillatory about an axis approximately normal to the plane of thespecimen, during such engagement, the relative engagements of saidwearer element and said supporting element including engagementsoverlappingly covering the periphery of the test area. the constructionand arrangement being such that any portion of the specimen outside saidarea is relieved from the wearing action.

32. A method of testing the wearing qualities of floor coverings,fabrics and the like comprising supporting and moving a test specimen ina predetermined sinuous closed path described alternately in oppositedirections and in its own plane, and intermittently impacting andcompressing successive portions of a total test surface of the movingspecimen alternately during movement o1' the respective portion in oneand the opposite engaging a surface of the test specimen, the engagingportion of said member being of less area. than the test area of thespecimen, and driving mechanism for said platen and for said Wearingmember, said driving mechanism including means acting to bring differentlocalities of the specimen-carrying platen into position opposite thewearing member and through a different direction of approach thereto foreach succeeding engagement of the wearing member upon any givenlocality.

34. Wear-testing apparatus for iioor Cowerings, fabrics and the likecomprising, in combination, a platen for presenting a test specimen,means for moving the platen and specimen in a predetermined path, awearer element for intermittent impacting engagement with the specimenduring its movement, said element comprising a shoe having a passagethrough its specimen-engaging face, and means in yclosed communicationwith said passage for pneumatically carrying 01T worn particles of thetest specimen.

35. In combination, in a wear-testing machine for floor coverings,fabrics and the like, means for supporting a test specimen and producing'wear upon it, and means for graphically recording the progress of thewearing action at predetermined intervals with respect to the operationof the wear producing means, said recording means including a chart anda marker operative thereon, a wear detecting and measuring element, andautomatic means periodically to cause said element to function and tocause the marker to record on the chart the extentkof wear thendetected.

36. Ina wear-testing machine for floor coverings, fabrics and the like,a supporting platen for a test specimen, a plunger-like wearer elementcarrying a shoe for wearing engagement upon a supported specimen, meanssupporting and guiding said element for movement into and out ofengagement with the specimen, operating mechanism for the wearer elementincluding a motor, a cam driven thereby, and cam-controlled connectionswith said element, a wear-detecting and measuring feeler adapted tocontact a wearing portion of a supported test specimen, and controllingmechanism for the feeler to effect operation thereof at intervals timedwith respect to the operation of the wearer element.

37. In an apparatus of the class described, a main frame, aspecimen-holding platen movably supported by said main frame, a motorand drive connections for said platen, mounted on said main frame, anupper frame, a wearer element supported on said upper frame forintermittent weareflecting engagement with a specimen on the platen,drive connections between the motor and said wearer element, a detectorelement for intermittently measuring the extent of the progressing wear,said element including a supporting member movable toward and away fromthe wearing portion of thev test specimen and a feeler on said memberhaving a nat under face for feeling engagement upon said wearingportion, and operating means for the detector element coordinating it tofunction periodically with respect to the operation of the wearerelement.

38. In an apparatus of the class described, a main frame, aspecimen-holding platen movably supported by said main frame, a motorand drive connections for said platen, mounted on said main frame, anupper frame, a wearer element supported on said upper frame forintermittent weareiecting engagement with a specimenl on Vthe platen,and drive connections between the motor and said wearer element, thelatter including an elongated supporting member having a longitudinallyclosed channel, and a specimen-engaging shoe on said supporting member,said shoe having an aperture at its specimen-engaging face and extendinginto communication with said channel.

39. Ina wear-testing machine for floor coverings, fabrics and the like,a supporting platen for a test specimen, said platen having a fixedoperative plane, means to move the platen and specimen in said plane, aplunger-like wearer elementfor wearing engagement upon a supportedspecimen, means supporting and guiding said element and for causingmovement thereof substantially perpendicularly to said fixed operativeplane of the platen and into and out of engagement with the specimen,and other coordinated drive means for effecting a plurality ofoscillations of said wearer element, during each movement thereof intoand out of engagement with the specimen, about an axis parallel with itspath of movement toward and from the specimen.

40. Wear-testing apparatus for floor coverings, fabrics and the like,comprising, in combination, a supporting frame, a holder for a testspecimen, means to move the holder continuously in a sinuous closedpath, a wearer shoe having a specimenengaging face of substantially lessarea than that of a solid' or uninterrupted area of a specimen to betested, and operating means for said shoe for intermittently impactingand pressing it upon the specimen at different localities along saidpath, and means coordinating the holder moving means and the shoeoperating means to effect upon the specimen a total impacting andpressing shoe engagement which is uniform throughout the totality ofsaid solid or uninterrupted test area.

4l. Wear-testing apparatus for the purpose described, comprising asubstantially flat holder for a test specimen, means to move the holderin a predetermined sinuous, endless path, in the plane of the supportedspecimen, an opposed wearer element mounted for intermittentlyimpacting, pressing and turning upon and in engagement with the specimenon the holder, and mechanism to operate said wearer element, includingconnecting means arranged for readily rendering the intermittentlyimpacting action of said element inactive whereby the latter may havecontinuous engagement with the specimen when so desired, other portionsof said operating mechanism then acting similarly as when the impactingaction of Ythe wearer element is employed.

EDGAR F. HATHAWAY. WALTER BIXBY.

